Support and cord assembly for hand telephones



Nov. 21, 1950 w. e. TURNBULL, JR

SUPPORT AND com) ASSEMBLY FOR HAND TELEPHONES Filed April 26, 1947 7NVEN TOR m 6. TURNBULL A T TORNE V Patented Nov. 21, 1950 SUPPORT ANDCORD ASSEMBLY FOR HAND TELEPHONES William G. Turnbull, Jr., Summit, N.J., assignor to Bell Telephone Laboratories, Incorporated, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Application April 26, 1947, Serial No.744,179

4 Claims. (Cl. 179-103) This invention relates to hand telephones andmore particularly to such telephones of the type having transmitter andreceiver units mounted at opposite ends of a handle.

One object of the invention is to simplify the construction and reducethe cost of hand telephones.

Another object of this invention is to facilitate the assembly andrepair of such telephones.

A further object of this invention is to expedite the locking of thecord to the handle of a hand telephone.

In one illustrative embodiment of this invention, a hand telephonecomprises a handle having hollow portions at opposite ends for receivingthe transmitter and receiver units, the handle having also an aperturetherein, for example at the transmitter end, through which the telephonecord extends.

In accordance with one feature of this invention, a removable terminalsupport is fitted within the transmitter end of the handle, the supportmounting spring contacts for engaging the transmitter unit and havingthereon terminals through which electrical connection is establishedbe-' tween the spring contacts and the cord conductors. The support isseated upon and keyed to a shoulder within the handle and is providedwith a surface upon which the transmitter unit is seated. This unit andthe support are locked in position by a transmitter cap or mouthpieceafiixed, as by threading, to the transmitter end portion of the handle.

In accordance with another feature of this invention, the cord isprovided with a head adapted to abut an inner wall portion of the handleand the support is provided with a wedge-shaped extension constructedand arranged to bear against the head upon the cord and force it againstthe inner wall portion mentioned, when the support is inserted into thetransmitter end portion of the handle.

In accordance with a further feature of this invention, the headabove-noted is formed upon Fig. 1 is a sectional side view of a handtelephone illustrative of one embodiment of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the terminal, contact spring and supportassembly included in the hand telephone illustrated in Fig. 1; and rFig. 3 is a bottom view of the assembly'shown in Fig. 2.

Referring now to the drawing, the hand telephone therein illustratedcomprises a hollow handle IQ, for example molded from thermoplastic orphenol plastic material, having integral cupshaped portions H and I2 atopposite ends for receiving the receiver and transmitter units I-3 and Mrespectively.

The receiver unit l3, which may be of the construction disclosed in theapplication, Serial No. 704,483, filed October 19, 1946, of Edward E.Mott, is seated upon an annular internal shoulder l5 in the portion l land is locked or clamped in place by an earpiece l6 threaded upon theportion ll.

The transmitter unit !4, which may be of the construction disclosed inPatent 2,527,159 issued October 24, 1950, to Ralph R. Stevens, is seatedupon a cup-shaped support I! having a flange l8 seated in turn upon aninternal annular shoulder IS in the portion l2, the portion l2 andflange l8 having a cooperating slot 20 and key 2| for locating thesupport and preventing rotation thereof. The transmitter unit andsupport are locked or clamped in place by a transmitter cap ormouthpiece 22 threaded upon the portion [2 of the handle.

The hand telephone handle is provided at the transmitter end with anaperture through which a multiconductor cord assembly extends. Thisassembly comprises a rubber jacketed cord 23 and a sleeve or grommet 24secured upon the cord jacket and having an enlarged portion or head 25which abuts an inner wall portion of portion l2. The sleeve or grommetis of a flexible, wear resistant material such as a polychloroprene, e.g. materials known commercially as neoprene, and is firmly aiTlxed tothe cord jacket as by cementing or vulcanizing.

As shown clearly in Figs. 1 and 3, the support I! has extending from thebase thereof an integral, wedge-shaped arm or cross piece 26 whichengages the head 25 of the grommet 24 and, when the support I! isinserted into the portion l2, forces the head against the internal wallportion of the portion I2 which it abuts. Thus, the cord is securely andreadily anchored in position upon assembly of the hand telephone.

Also, because of its wear resistant character, the grommet 24 protectsthe cord 23 and prevents damage thereto at regions adjacent the aperturein the handle through which the cord extends.

Afiixed to the support (1, as by internally tapped eyelets 21, arecontact springs 28 and 29 -which resiliently engage terminal contacts 3|upon the transmitter unit I 4. Certain of the cord conductors areconnected to the contact springs by way of the eyelets, being affixedthereto by screws 30 threaded into the eyelets.

It will be appreciated that the hand telephone may be readily assembledand repaired. For example, the cord conductors may be connected to thereceiver unit and to the eyelets 27 with the receiver unit and thesupport external to the handle. The cord and support constitute asub-assembly fabricable as a unit and readily associated with thehandle. The support I! is easily positioned in proper place in thehandle portion l2. The cord is automatically locked fixedly in placewhen the support I! and transmitter unit l4 are fixed in position bythreading the transmitter cap upon the handle portion 52. Additionally,inasmuch as the transmitter unit is seated upon the cup-shaped support,a fixed, preassigned spacing between the unit and the contact springs isobtained. Further, the support enables provision of a chamber ofprescribed volume behind the transmitter unit where such a chamber isdesired as a part ofan acoustic network for controlling the response ofthe unit.

Although a specific embodiment of the invention has been shown anddescribed, it will be understood that it is but illustrative and thatvarious modifications may be made therein without departing from thescope and spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims,

" What is claimed is:

1. A hand telephone comprising a handle having a cavity therein andhaving also an aperture therein communicating with said cavity, atelephone cord extending through said aperture and having an enlargedportion adapted to engage an inner wall portion of the handle adjacentthe inner end of said aperture, a support fitted within said cavity andhaving a portion for engaging said enlarged portion and looking itagainst said inner wall portion, said support having thereon contactsand mounting terminals for said contacts to which conductors of saidcord are connected, a telephone instrument seated upon said support andhaving contacts engaging said first contacts, and means affixed to saidhandle and bearing against said instrument to lock said instrument andsupport on said cavity.

2. A hand telephone comprising a handle having a cavity therein andhaving also an aperture therein communicating with said cavity, aseating surface in said cavity, a cup-shaped support within said cavityand seated upon said surface, contact springs on said support, terminalsconnected to said contact springs, a telephone instrument seated uponsaid support and having contacts engaging said springs, meanscooperating with said handle for locking said instrument upon saidsupport and said support against said surface, a telephonecord-extending through said aperture and including conductors connectedto said terminals, a member affixed to said cord and having a portionabutting an inner wall of said handle adjacent said aperture, and awedge-shaped member extending from said support and bearing against saidportion to lock it against said inner wall.

3. A hand telephone comprising a handle having a cavity therein andhaving also therein an aperture communicating with said cavity, atelephone cord extending through said aperture and having an enlargedportion abutting the inner wall of said handle adjacent said aperture, atelephone instrument overlying said cavity, means abutting saidinstrument and having a portion bearing against the inner end of saidenlarged portion, and means bearing against-said instrument to urge itinto said cavity thereby to urge said portion of said means against saidinner end of said enlarged portion of said cord.

4. A hand telephone comprising-a handle having a cavity therein andhaving also therein an aperture communicating with said cavity, a cordextending through said aperture and having affixed thereto a resilientcollar bearing against an inner wall portion of said handle adjacentsaid cavity, means within said cavity having a Wedgeshaped portionbearing against the inner end of said collar, a telephone instrumentbearing against said means, and locking means engaging said instrumentto urge it against said means thereby to urge said wedge-shaped portionagainst said collar.

WILLIAM G. TURNBULL, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Obergfell June 25, 1940

